


Nexus

by wonderingredroses



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: BAMF Matt Murdock, BAMF Skye | Daisy Johnson, Childhood Friends, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Relationships, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Matt Murdock, Protective Skye | Daisy Johnson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28257120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderingredroses/pseuds/wonderingredroses
Summary: The world is protected by heroes. They defend. They avenge. They also strategically intervene and enforce. This is a story about a vigilante, a shield agent, and an avenger-in-training walking into a bar.Scratch that. Peter’s not legally old enough for drinking.Matthew Murdock meets Daisy Johnson, who was known as Mary Sue Poots, later, Skye, at St. Agnes’s Orphanage. Daisy then meets a five year old Peter Parker and introduces him to her Matty. The three become close and go on to lead different lives, but should needs arise:They will work together to protect the world they inhabit.
Relationships: Matt Murdock & Peter Parker, Matt Murdock & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Peter Parker & Skye | Daisy Johnson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50





	1. Matthew Murdock's Beginning

Matthew and Jack Murdock ambled their way through the streets of New York. It was a nice day. The father and son just finished their hotdogs on the way back from Matt’s school. Dodging passers-by and hurrying onto their way to the gym. Snippets of conversation made their way to their ears, music playing from a window somewhere, honking, and the screech of tires. That wasn’t uncommon. Sometimes there really were a few asshole drivers who shouldn’t be in possession of a license. Be that as it may, the loud crash and screams were. A crowd was already forming on the sidewalks when they joined. Matt could just make out a truck that didn’t seem to be stopping and a man in its path. He was already pushing the man out of the way before he registered that he left his dad in that crowd. The next thing he noticed was the stinging. The _burning_ in his eyes. The Murdock boy cried out and rubbed at his eyes to try and wipe away the substance covering the rest of his face. It was definitely worse than getting soap in his eyes in the shower. No it wasn’t like that at all. This blurred his vision and redness seeped into his peripheral vision. He forgot about the clamor until his dad’s face came into view. He felt his dad lift his head up. His dad’s eyes were worried underlied with terror. Matt focused on the blue sky. Drowned out the sirens and shouting. 

The redness; the _fire_ took over. 

When he woke up - at least he thought he woke up. Did he not open his eyes yet? Were the lights off? The burning was gone, but it was dark. 

Oh. The burning. 

As he remembered, his breath started to hitch. His surroundings were wholly unfamiliar also. That fact did not help the panic creeping up. There was the absence of the springs from his bed, the present smell of cleanliness, and that beeping that did not sound like his alarm clock. 

Everything was overwhelming him. 

" _Hey Mattie_. It's alright - you're fine. We're in a hospital"

The low baritone of his dad's voice calmed him down just enough for him to slip back into a deep sleep.

Matthew Murdock listened to the heavy breathing. The heavy feet bouncing lightly in the ring. The punches. 

Fogwell’s Gym was not a fancy corporate building. So how they managed to scrounge up this many people confused Matthew to no end. He was sure that it was a fire hazard.

His homework was left discarded on the small table. He gave up on trying to split his focus with what he was reading and what he was hearing. Matthew’s attention was wholly on his father. Michael Murdock brought him to the match after a sudden deal came up. 

There was a throng of spectators in the building, loud and sweaty from being crowded into such a small space. All the same, his dad managed to find him the most pleasant spot. Pleasant meaning next to the trash cans since - he suspected - no one actually bothered to throw away their trash in here. 

The elder Murdock’s opponent was gaining on him with a series of punches and one last punch sending him stumbling back. But he didn’t fall. Matthew relaxed; he knew this routine. His dad would set his shoulders, his face and respond with a never-ending volley of hits the other guy couldn’t possibly escape.

The sound of air gathering as an arm drew back repeatedly. A smack as a glove hit another glove. A grunt as a punch landed on the abdomen. The sound of the mouthguard clacking as an undercut landed on the guy’s unattended chin and he went down. And he stayed down when the ref counted. All the while, his dad’s pulse was steady. 

Michael collected some money and then he was heading in his son’s direction.

His homework was already packed in the bag that he slung across his shoulder and he grabbed the cane that was resting on the side of the table. His dad waited for him by the exit after grabbing a drink of water. They walked out and the night was cool. The street was mostly empty, the area usually more silent compared to the other neighborhoods. 

“You won.” Matthew kept his face turned forward not showing his dad the smirk on his face, but not bothering to hide it either. In the recesses of his mind he processed the clinking of utensils on dinner plates, someone sniffling to the movie they’re watching, honking that could have come from around the corner or a few blocks away. He wasn’t sure.

An amused chuckle came from the older man as he fell into step with him, “Yeah, did you ever doubt me, boy?”

“Maybe a little,” he ducked before the swat reached his head. Matt followed up by bringing his hands up to mimic a motion he’s seen his father do. Smiling, he challenged Battlin’ Jack Murdock. 

The older man chuckled and shook his head. “You want to protect your face yeah, but you gotta make sure you actually see the other guy. Lower your fists a little” 

Matt did as instructed and swung wide at his dad’s arm. The rest of the walk was spent by the father and son trying to get the drop on one another. 

Matt's senses were overwhelming him nearly as much as that day he woke up in the hospital with his dad at his side. Only his dad wasn't here this time. 

He grit his teeth and tried to block out the noise with his hands. It didn't stop the smell from wafting up to his nose, or the feels of the fibers from the sheets touching his skin.

_He pushed through the officers blocking the alleyway. He was trying to get to his dad- his dad who was laying on the ground with something clearly wrong with him. Why weren't the officers helping?_

_"Dad! Dad-"_

No. He tried to keep his mind from going there, but bringing himself back to the present continued the onslaught of the city that attacked him. 

A cool towel dabbed his forehead. He sighed in relief. 

Sister Maggie sat at his bedside this time, "There you go child. Try to rest." Her ministrations did not cease and Matthew could feel some of the tension leave his body. It was comforting. He was safe here. 

And he let himself rest.

  
  



	2. Mary Sue's Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye stomped her foot on the ground and let out a frustrated grunt. If that stupid boy, Johnny hadn’t been hogging the swingset, she wouldn’t have needed to push his stupid butt off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonderwall by Oasis

Mary Sue Poots kicked at the gravel. Despite her insistence that she was a _big girl_ , she was every bit a seven year old girl throwing a tantrum due to not being allowed on the playground. 

As much as she wanted to call cruel and unusual punishment, the restriction was not entirely uncalled for. 

_It’s all that stupid kid’s fault._

Mary stomped her foot on the ground and let out a frustrated grunt. If that stupid boy, Johnny hadn’t been hogging the swingset, she wouldn’t have needed to push his stupid butt off. 

She asked politely at first, but had enough once he decided to blow a raspberry in her direction. Sister Maggie hadn’t been very pleased with her explanation. Flashing puppy dog eyes did not help any either. She got a stern talking to and was told to apologize to ‘poor Johnny’ who had a single bandaid on his knee. 

He no longer resembled that stuck up boy on the swing set. Johnny looked mildly uncomfortable in her presence and he accepted her forced out apology easy enough. 

She felt guilt well up inside her.

Once he left, Sister Maggie sat her down and told her she would not be allowed on the playground for the rest of the week. 

Shock and anger quickly replaced that guilt and the resentment returned. Which brought her to where she was now, stewing in her frustration in front of the church. Kicking the ground instead of kicking her legs back and forth on the swings.

Her anger tired her out soon enough and she sat on the steps in front of the entrance. Having to scooch to the side when a middle-aged couple approached the building. 

They were dressed in smart attire. And the woman was clutching tightly to the man next to her. The lady seemed anxious and eager. The man was grinning widely as she dragged him along. 

Mary had seen enough of those couples to know what those looks meant. 

They were here to adopt a kid. A kid that would not be her. 

And that brought the girl to the root of her problems. Her cause for her to lash out at the kid for only using the stupid swings. 

The latest visit with potential parents did not go so well. Well, at least it _was_ going well until it _didn’t._

  
  


She put on a nice button up shirt paired with a pleated skirt. Strapped on her black shoes and combed back her black hair. Her final look similar to a schoolgirl in her uniform. 

She pulled the bucket of crayons from the middle of the table and began to color. Anticipating the potential parents that were scheduled to come, she was on her best behavior.

A handsome looking couple walked in and Mary’s breath got caught in her throat. 

She paused her coloring to admire the lady that had just come through. She seemed so warm and her smile was so bright. Mary wondered if she was a star in another life. Her brown hair fell in waves all the way down to her waist. 

Her husband was the opposite. He wasn’t bad looking, but his entire demeanor albeit polite, could not compare to his wife. He looked worn and sleazy.

(Mary assumes that’s how that word is used. She overheard one of the older kids call a man “sleazy” on a field trip one time when he overcharged her despite the sign and sneered when she called him out on it.)

A few other kids were sitting at other tables coloring as well and others were playing with some of the toys in the bin on the other side of the room. 

And by some twist of fate, she saw the pretty lady head in her direction. Mary quickly turned her attention back to the paper in front of her. She was no Picasso, but made a decent drawing of a dog she saw the previous day. All yellow scribbles because there were no gold crayons, two black dots, a slightly bigger black circle, and a red tongue sticking out.

“Quite the drawing you have there. Is that a golden retriever?”

Little Mary’s heart soared. The lady knew what it was! 

She slid the drawing closer so the woman could see it better, “I saw him yesterday while I was having lunch. The girl who was walking him said his name was Shasta. I still had some of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich so I asked if I could feed him some and she said yeah so I gave Shasta some and then tried to get some more but I told him no because I was still kinda hungry and that was all the lunch I got. And I only got the pb&j because they ran out of the pudding cups in the cafeteria. And usually I get the chocolate ones ‘cause those are my favorite, but there were no more.” 

Mary finally finished her tangent and glanced back at the lady to see that she was grinning enthusiastically and nodding her head along and had taken a seat next to her while she was talking. 

She felt a flush go up her cheeks, worried that she made a fool out of herself - 

“Well that’s just terrible. Why don’t we go see if there’s some chocolate pudding in the cafeteria right now?”

Mary looked up in relief, “Really?”

“Yes really. Come on, Tom.” She waved at her husband, who Mary had forgotten about until now. He was wearing a disapproving frown and Mary shrank back slightly and turned back to the lady.

She was almost finished with her chocolate pudding when _Anna_ \- the pretty lady’s name - brought up her drawing of Shasta again.

“I forgot to mention, Mary, your drawing of the dog was beautiful! You wouldn’t mind if I kept it would you? I think it would look right at home on our fridge.”

Mary’s heart thumped. Did she mean what she thinks she means-

“Don’t lie to the girl, Anna. It was a picture of a haystack with features at best.” Tom finally spoke up for the first time in her presence. Before Mary could process what was happening Anna whipped around.

“ _Tom!”_ she hissed. Her cheeks were flushed and this was Mary’s first time seeing Anna without a warm smile on her face.

“Anna. She’s high maintenance. You’ll have to provide more for her than just pudding. If you wanted something to baby-talk over, feed, and take on walks, you should just get a dog.”

Now Mary Sue finally caught up with the conversation and she balled up her fists in her lap. How could someone as cool as Anna be married to this square? Tom obviously wasn’t inclined to having any children. So why did he bother coming to an orphanage in the first place? Anna was great, but that would mean being stuck with this guy. 

“Thank you for the pudding, Anna.” Mary Sue walked in between the couple arguing and said her farewells, “Tom. My drawing was a masterpiece thank you very much.” 

She left the stunned couple behind and skipped away. 

“Mary Sue! Wait!” she stopped to see Anna following her. Anna caught up and knelt down so they were level.

“I’m so sorry, Mary. You were an absolute joy to spend time with. My Tom and I just aren’t ready children yet.” She handed her Shasta drawing back, “It wouldn’t be right of me to keep this masterpiece.”

Mary Sue smiled finally at that and shook her head, “You can keep it, Anna.”

Anna grinned warmly and hugged her. Her embrace felt nice and she tried to enjoy it for as long as she could. When she let go, Anna folded up the drawing and tucked it neatly into her pocket.

Mary walked back to the table and got out another piece of paper. She would begin again. Maybe draw the alleycat that visited every once in a while. 

She was drawing the splotchy fur when she saw Anna and Tom walk past the door to leave. She felt saddened and had to remind herself: She will find a home _one day_ . With _two_ parents that would love her. 

But it wouldn’t happen anytime soon and she pushed that thought down. Which bubbled up and eventually unleashed itself upon a swingset-hogging kid.

  
  
  


Mary leaned back on the steps and looked up at the bright blue sky. Trying to distract herself from those other persistent thoughts. 

A song popped into her head. _Wonderwall_ or something like that. She sang it to herself, not quite remembering all the lyrics, having to fill it in with _na na nas_.

Mary liked the color blue. Especially sky blue. She hummed. _Sky._

_And all the roads we have to walk are winding_

_And all the lights that lead us there are blinding_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we have Daisy. Sort of. It will be a bit until she's called that.


	3. Matt & Skye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Skye learn how to use the swing set.

Matt was on the swingset this time. He didn’t bother swinging, too caught up in his dark mood to do anything. It was how it usually went after training with Stick. He enjoyed learning new skills and being capable of more, but the way Stick pushed himー Matthew shook his head. He should be grateful, he told himself. Stick was there to take care of him and to teach him.

A boy was on the swing next to him. Matt told himself he would move if there was anyone waiting for their turn. A small set of footsteps in the wood chips crunched and he was about to hop off when the boy next to him ran off. A lighter build than the boy previous to her took up the swing.

Well, she tried to. She tried hopping on, but the seat slipped out from under her. She was muttering and she tried again, “Frick, should’ve just let him keep it.” 

She took a few steps back and while holding the chains, started running forward then jumped on the seat. 

His dark mood eventually faded away. The nice day finally made an effect on him as well as the distraction the small girl provided. He willed himself not to laugh as she futilely pumped her legs back and forth, the swing not going any higher. He had a feeling that she wouldn’t appreciate him laughing at her. 

She futilely pumped her legs back and forth. The chains didn’t creak with any added height and she seemed to give up after a while. The girl continued to mutter to herself, “This was a stupid thing to get a lecture from Sister Mckenna over.”

He had been on the receiving end of one of those lectures and winced in sympathy. He had been sullen and snappy towards everyone around him when he first came to St. Agnes, an accumulation of his sense slowly building up to overwhelm him. Sister Maggie spoke to him, or Father Lantom, but he knew that he tried Sister Mckenna’s patience to a point where she took him to the side and laid into him. Stick’s acerbic nature really couldn’t compare. 

His attention was drawn back to the girl. She had been silent for a while, but he knew she was still there. He had a feeling that she was pouting. 

They remained sitting there for a while. It was a companionable silence. School hours were over and there wasn’t much to do with the day. Matt finished his homework and he didn’t have any lessons with Stick. So he took the time to appreciate his now calm state of mind. Stick always said that his anger would get him in trouble if he didn’t know how to use it right. 

The pouty girl next to him tried swinging again. She got off the seat and tried to jump back onto give herself a boost, but she missed the swing this time and she yelped. She landed on the wood chips. 

Matt swung his head toward where she fell and worried that she might actually be hurt. The scent of copper was just barely there, she likely scraped her hands. He got out of his swing to help her, anticipating that she might start crying. Instead, she sniffed and wiped her hands on her pants and got up. 

He couldn’t stop himself from laughing despite himself. He admired her grit. She seemed set on being able to use the swing and when he laughed he could feel the full force of her stare focused on him. 

“Are you laughing at me?” He stopped himself short. Although, the smirk didn’t leave his face. The sharp tone that attempted intimidation was something he recognized Sister Maggie do whenever he spoke back. 

“No,” he said simply. 

She stalked toward him and the wind whistled through her hair. She stopped and crossed her arms petulantly, “I didn’t see  _ you  _ swinging. Do you know how? You should probably learn how before you start laughing at me, buddy.” 

Once she started talking, her voice drew his gaze a bit lower. He felt her breath come up to his chest. He tilted his head, she was a lot shorter than he thought. 

“I wasn’t laughing at you,” He said reassuringly. Well, he tried to because she quickly became offended when he followed up with, “Do you want me to give you a push?” He meant it with full sincerity, but she huffed and turned around to go back to the swing. 

She slipped on without any extra hassle and he took that as his cue to go back to his own swing. They were left alone. The other kids could be heard playing tag on the playground next to them. He wondered why she didn’t join them. Likely because she wouldn’t until she mastered the art of the swingset. So he waited since she seemed set on doing it herself. 

He ruminated over the training he had yesterday. Where he excelled and where he faltered. (Where he thought he excelled. Stick only pointed his mistakes). He had to think objectively; if he knew what mistakes were made then he would fix them.

Then he heard the chains of the swing next to him groan. Heard it get progressively louder and felt the wind brush by him. And the victorious girl’s giggle. He smiled lightly at her achievement, “Nice job!” If she could learn how to swing, he would be able to get that dropkick down.

She looked over at him as she reached the top and there was no sign of defensiveness, “Do you want me to give you a push?” She yelled and her voice got louder as she swung back down. There was a rustle of wood chips as she dug her heels in to slow herself. 

He cocked his head and considered her offer faux seriously, “Well you just learned how to swing, wouldn’t want to take you away from that, now would I?”

She shook her head, hopped off, and went to stand behind him. He jolted as her tiny hands pushed his back, “Okay now you gotta swing your legs and lean back.”

He decided that he would humor her and thanked her with a wry grin.

“Thanks. I’m Matt Murdock.” 

She grunted in response. She _was_ using her whole body to push him and he had a few inches on her, “You’ve gotta swing your legs more!” 

He complied absentmindedly, “You know, you don’t have to push me anymore. I got it.”

In reply, he felt another shove. Matt leaned forward to gain more momentum in the hopes that she would believe him. 

That must have satisfied her concern over his non-existent plight with the swingset that she juxtaposed herself to his right.

“All in a good day’s work,” She said  _ very  _ proudly, “I’m Skye, by the way. If you’ve heard someone calling me ‘Mary Sue’ no you didn’t.”

He huffed a laugh to himself as he leaned back, his head facing the sky.

“It’s nice to meet you, Skye.” 

She hummed, "Nice to meet you too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elementary school stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay peoples.
> 
> I hope everyone is having a good day :)

Matt and his mentor were training in an old boiler room. It was dimly-lit and most of the light came in through the single window close to the ceiling. Complete with rumbling pipes and rust stains on the floor. Of course - that didn’t matter to the two that were fighting. 

They only need to rely on their other senses. Matt was quickly learning that he was capable of so much despite the loss of his sight. His heightened senses were making up a mental image of his surroundings. The echo of the pipes gave him a vague estimate of how much space he had. It wasn’t much space, but they mostly kept to one spot since he was learning just a few maneuvers. 

Trying to, anyway. His ass was getting beat, but he was a Murdock and he would always get back up. To the point where he didn’t have to fall down anymore. All he needed to do was to land a hit on Stick. 

Who stood unmoved as Matt tried to land another blow. He was quickly knocked down by a cane to the cheek. He landed hard on the musty floor. Matt hissed and brought his hand to hold the stinging spot. It wasn’t bleeding, at least. He glowered at the old man.

Matt had a feeling that it had no effect on him whatsoever. The man only radiated disappointment that shrouded the boy and he tried not to shrink under it. 

“We’re done for the day.”

Matt started at that. He hadn’t mastered the move yet. He would get it soon with a little bit more time. And they usually went on for longer than this. Stick would take him every other day and push him to his limits. He did not yet reach his limits. He jumped up with the intent of making his arguments known.

“Wait no! I can keep going. I’ll get it soon enough. Murdocks always get back upー”

“Bah! Not all that ‘Murdocks get back up’ sentimental crap. You need to learn not to get knocked down in the first place. That frustration is only going to set you back. Now go. We’re done for today.”

Matt huffed and stormed out of the boiler room and started walking back to the orphanage. He kept his white cane folded up underneath his arm. He took a quick note of his surroundings. The boiler room was located near a small park so that meant there were a few people walking about. The tread of a biker on the street could be heard a few yards back and Matt made sure to steer clear, but he still balanced carefully on the very edge of the sidewalk. He walked like that until he nearly slipped and fell into a parked car. He righted himself and straightened his sunglasses. He imagined people around him giving him concerned stares, but brushed them off. Rather than going at a slower pace, he sprinted off. He managed to avoid obstacles and anybody in his way and might have taken a detour to jump off a bench. Other than that, he didn’t stop for anyone. 

He arrived at the gates and let himself in. Laughter and shrieks came from the courtyard. He felt for his watch and realized that he had a few minutes to spare, but not to play. He was slightly winded from running all the way back. And he was starting to feel the bruises from practice. 

Matt walked up to the stairs and sat down. He pulled out a bag of sliced apples from his pocket to snack on. He was enjoying his apple slices when he heard someone call his name.

“Matt!” He recognized the voice as Skye. He waved in her direction. He had been spending more time with her recently. She would find him whenever he was alone (which was pretty often) and talk his ear off. He was put off at first since she didn’t really speak to him much that first time they met. After she pushed him on the swings she went back to her own and they swung together which didn’t give them much time for conversation. 

The next time they talked, she approached him in the dining hall. There were only a few people at the table so there was plenty of space for her to join. She plopped down straight across from him and began talking about the girls that she usually sits with. The orphanage had four stories which were divided by boys and girls and age groups. So she was usually stuck bunking and dining with the same girls because that’s who she was familiar with. Matt could only sympathize. He had been here for nearly a year and didn’t really interact with anybody. The boys that were there when he arrived tended to avoid him. They saw him experience a sensory overload and weren’t sure how to interact with him and he didn’t bother to try. 

From then he found himself spending his dinnertime with her. Sometimes she would find him outside at the park or like now. On the steps of St. Agnes. 

“Matt, where’ve you been? I was looking for you. Oh apples!” He handed her some apples before thinking about what to tell her. Stick swore him to secrecy, but what harm could it cause telling Skye?

“So where did you go?” She said between crunching on some slices, “I asked the nuns but they just said you were out with a tutor.” That was a good explanation. They called in Stick at first to help him with his overloads, but it was kept quiet, not wanting to divulge another child’s information to Skye. It was better than saying he was learning different forms of martial arts from an old man. So he nodded in confirmation, “Yeah I just went to the library to meet with my tutor for some help on school work.” 

“Ohh, but I thought you were a smarty pants! You helped me on that reading assignment.” He chuckled at her surprise.

“That’s ‘cause I’m two grade levels above you.” 

“Oh right. But you’re still smart! You always have your homework done fast and you’re always on the playground before me.” Skye pouted at that last part. 

He knew that she was not going to let this go. Matt hurried to come up with a good lie, “Well I’ve been struggling with math lately and I don’t want to fall behind.”

Skye stared at him and he should not feel as discomfited as he did then. Did she buy it? She could be very perceptive when she wanted to.

“You are  _ such  _ a nerd.” 

He laughed and some tension he didn’t realize was there left his shoulders, “Yeah yeah.” He went to bat at her ponytail and purposely tapped her head instead. She yelped and retaliated by pushing his head away. It devolved from there turning into a tickle fight. And as tough as Matt pretended to be, he still had some ticklish spots. He prevailed when he got Skye into a headlock, “Okay, okay!” She patted his arm for him to release her in a mockery of wrestling, “Now let me go, you big meanie.”

He was about to relent, but when he heard that. Well now… 

She shrieked again and jerked when he tickled her sides once more, “A meanie! What gave you that idea?” 

Skye laughed breathlessly, “You’re being a pretty big meanieー” 

Matt let out a pained  _ oof _ when she landed a punch to his side.

“Right now.” She took in deep breaths while Matt rubbed at his torso. 

“I won.” She sang. Matt only pouted in response. 

**~*~0~*~**

Skye liked Matt. When she first met him, she was afraid she would have to pummel him for mocking her. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to get in trouble again since he was actually a nice boy. She found that she could trust him with her rants and all the dirt she had on the other kids. Even if he didn’t really approve of her gossiping or really cared about what her roommate was whispering to a friend. He would listen because it was her who was telling it to him. Not that she gave him much choice on the matter, but she couldn’t help but latch onto him. His cool demeanor and somewhat protectiveness drew her to him. It was really the only connection she had in this lonely place. She clung to him and some of the kids would poke and prod and sing, “Mattie and Mary sitting in a tree.” 

She scrunched her nose and tried to imagine liking him that way. Did she have a crush on him? Just because he was a boy she hung out with? Skye dismissed it. It didn’t seem quite right. Matt had taken a mama duck kind of role with her. He guided her gently without being stuck up about it, helped her with her homework, and gave her a disapproving look if she was being rude. 

Essentially, he held manners very close to him. He was occasionally moody, but most of the time, he charmed the pants off of everyone he met. With his humble and polite character, Matt couldn’t help it. But even with his easy way of making people like him, he didn’t have many friends. There were a few classmates that he talked to, his tutor, Father Lantom, and her. She briefly worried that maybe he was just too polite to say that he didn’t actually want to spend time with her. She was no stranger to being left behind. That is how she ended up in an orphanage in the first place. 

She thought of his bright grin when the play fought. Him listening to her talk all throughout dinner time, letting her push him on the swings, his patience when reading her the english assignment. No, he wasn’t pretending. No one was that nice unless they really cared. She was sure she gave him many chances to book it anyway each time she did something particularly annoying. Like when she punched him on the side. She may be small, but she didn’t pull her punches. 

Skye knew that Matt hadn’t been here long. Kids here came and went. Others stay for a while and some have been here longer than she has. Some unfortunate circumstances brought them to St. Agnes and Matt’s happened to be the death of an only parent. He didn’t talk about it much, but she knew he missed his dad. He kept photos of him and his dad. As well as a news clipping with the header ‘Battlin’ Jack Murdock Wins Again’. 

Her friend was Matthew Murdock. She giggled when she found out that his first, middle, and last name started with the letter M.

“Isn’t that  _ literally _ ?”

Matt was running his fingers across the braille of his book, “Alliteration, you mean.”

Skye nodded and then giggled, “You’re M&M!”

He immediately cringed, “Don’t call me that.”

She shook her head in the negative. She wasn’t going to let go of that nickname anytime soon. 

Matt was missing again. Skye finally came to the conclusion that he was with his tutor after searching the entire building and checking outside only to find him gone. Skye sat on the edge of her bed swinging her feet. Why would he be gone the whole Saturday to get help with one subject? So she was left to her own devices then. 

She briefly considered joining some of the other girls who were lounging about, but they weren’t the company she was looking for. She decided she would sneak into the boys’ room and snoop. Matt wouldn’t mind. He’s already seen her go through his stuff anyway. And he knew that she liked to play with his stuff. When he wasn’t wearing it, she would fiddle with his watch. Her finger tracing the nodes of each hour. 

She got to the door of his room which was shared with six other boys. Luckily, there was no one in there at this time. The boys were probably occupying the basketball courts. 

Skye went to the trunk at the end of his bed. She was definitely jealous at first, the first time she went rummaging in his trunk and saw that it was fuller than hers. He had a family before and that meant that his family gave him things. She instantly felt guilty about thinking that and tried to make the uncomfortable twist in her stomach go away. 

The trunk shared half of the space with books. Matt had a system for his arrangement, so she would try not to mess it up. On the left, there were books that went in this order: books to read for fun, books for school, and the Bible. He had pencils rolled in a rubber band shoved in the corner and folder for his schoolwork on the side. She opened it out of pure curiosity. She wondered what it is he went to his tutor for when Sister Maggie usually helped him with his other homework. She read to him the questions and he would figure them out and answer them himself. 

Nothing interesting. She moved to the right side. His clothes. She found a green jacket that she liked and decided that she would ask Matt if she could borrow it. He probably would let her since he stuck to his favorite red one. She asked why he preferred the red one. He said it felt softer after having used it for so long. She guessed that was why she liked the green one. While it wasn’t new, it still had a fresh look to it and it would have a lot of space for her to grow into. 

There was nothing else to see, so she closed up the trunk. A glance out the window showed that everyone was still spending time outside. Wind rustled through the trees blowing leaves and mussed girls’ hair everywhere. She had second thoughts about the jacket, it would be definitely useful today. She grinned to herself and ran back to snatch the jacket. 

Skye rushed downstairs, managing to not trip over the steps even with how fast she was going. She had a whole day to play and she didn’t want to waste anymore of it. She found some of the other girls from her dorm. They occasionally spent time together, but she wasn’t as close with them as they were with each other. They never managed to connect the way she did with Matt. They had a long jump rope between them and two girls in the middle. A couple of the other girls were in line to wait their turn. She joined the end of the line with a quiet ‘hey’ to Mal and Tanya. They didn’t respond since they seemed to be immersed in a whispered conversation while staring at the boys. She could guess what that was about. 

The rhythmic snapping of the rope against the blacktop stopped and it was time for the girls to switch. The ones holding the rope got a chance to jump and the ones skipping, got a chance to swing. When they were done, the girls in front skipped rope and she waited another turn until it was finally her turn. 

“Ice cream soda,

Lemonade punch,

Tell me the name

Of my honey bunch,

A, B, C..”

She got to the end of the alphabet and kept on going long enough that they had to repeat it all the way to Z. Skye got lost in the rhythm. She had her shoelaces double-knotted and hummed the song to herself. The zipper of the open jackets flapped up and down. Once she finished, she had to push the sleeves back up to no avail. The jacket was large and kept on slipping off. 

She loved it. 

Panting from her turn, she almost missed the other girls giggling, “So who’s your honey bunch, Skye? Is it the one who gave you that jacket?”

Skye looked to Wren and Nina, they had been the girls who were jumping rope when she first arrived at the courtyard. 

“Don’t be silly, Nina. We don’t know anyone whose name starts with a Z.”

“Hm. There’s no Zay? Zion? Zack? Zohnathan?”

“No, no, no. And  _ reallyー  _ ‘Zohnathan?’”

Nina only shrugged, “I was running out of Z names. Plus, her honey bunch is probably a certain someone whose name starts with an M.”

“But the songー”

“Who cares about the song, Wren! You know those two have been hanging out together.”

Skye officially decided it was best not to partake in that conversation. They were already talking about her as if she wasn’t there and opted to leave. She was done jump roping and she would find something else to do. And for the last time: she didn’t like Matt that way.

She rotated through activities. Joining whatever seemed fun and leaving when something else caught her eye or she lost all interest. She played capture-the-flag, but wasn’t very good since she wasn’t much of a team player. Absolutely dominated the handball courts that were played against the building wall up until one of the nuns came to yell at them. Skye played in the playground for a bit. She acted as the chef who delivered delicious dishes that came in the form of woodchips. Then, she ended up at the swings. 

She swung alone and then finally wore herself out to go back inside. Sister Mckenna was supervising at the door and she gave Skye a kind smile as she passed by, “You don’t want to play with your friends, dear?”

She only shook her head. She didn’t really have any friends. 

Skye went to the recreation area. There was a nun at the desk. She was watching the TV that sat on the rolling cart a few feet away. She had weird old-fashioned series playing and didn’t mind Skye as she skipped to the other side of the room. Only waved at her to hasten her past the TV. 

The cabinets were unlocked to be available to the children. It was stuffed with puzzles, board games, and crafts. She loved the cabinets. Skye took some construction paper, scissors, and glue balanced haphazardly on top of each other and skipped to the desks with the coloring supplies. 

The Elmer’s glue bottle fell to the floor with a resounding thump in the mostly silent room, but the lady only had her eyes on the show. At this moment the protagonist locked eyes with the love interest. And they stood holding their breath with a locked gaze. 

Skye gagged.

Unceremoniously, she plopped her things on the desk, this time not caring of the noise it made. She knew exactly what she was going to draw this time. Two not quite stick figures stood in the middle of the page. Their U-shaped heads were disproportionate to their bodies, but the expressions on their face were as clear as day. The shorter figure had eyes rolling heaven-toward, but donned a cheeky grin belying her contentment. The taller figure was dressed in red. His smile was not as large, but there. One side tilted up more than the other. Skye and Matt respectively. 

She cut out strips of construction paper to glue onto the pare as a swing rather than coloring it out. Skye took one last glance at the paper then folded it up and stuffed it in her pocket. 

The clock on the wall read half past four. She hopped in place. Matt would be back soon. She went to his floor to wait. 

Matt stormed into the room. 

“M&M! I borrowed your jacket for a day. Don’t worry, I didn’t get it dirty.” She held out her arms with a shoddily folded green jacket in them. She tried to fold it nicely, but the hood and sleeve were hanging out despite her efforts. 

Matt didn’t respond. He was clenching his fists and she worried that she might have actually angered him, “Matt? I’m sorry I didn’t ask first.” She placed the jacket on his bed next to him, “I’ll put it away for you in the trunk,” she babbled nervously. “I place it right where I got it.”

He exhaled sharply through his nose, “You went through my trunk?”

She looked for words to defend herself, she couldn’t say that she wanted to snoop just ‘cuz, “Um yeah.” She lamely stated.

“Whatever. Just stop bothering me.” He threw the jacket in her face. 

She blinked at first in shock, then to stop the rapid onset of tears. She held the jacket limply in her arms as her throat closed up. She set it down on his trunk before quickly leaving the room. She tried not to meet any of the boys’ eyes as she passed by. 

She felt bad about pushing his boundaries. Angry at the way he reacted. He was usually so level-headed. Skye thought about the way he shoved the jacket in her face and hiccupped. It was so out of character for him. It was  _ rude. _ She sniffed. There goes the one friend she had. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So how did you like it? You're welcome to leave kudos and/or comment :)


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